The present invention relates to the field of information or document management, and more specifically, to protecting documents at rest and in motion using declarative policies and encryption.
Computers have evolved to become repositories for information from all aspects of life, including society's personal and business matters. These vast stores of knowledge are easily accessible through a variety of convenient methods, such as through a network connection. But as reliance on computers has grown, so has the need to keep information, particularly sensitive information, out of the hands of those who may abuse it.
In the business realm, an information management system addresses this need to protect sensitive or high-value information. Some common business challenges that companies look to address are: (i) insider theft—protecting intellectual property from being stolen by personnel working within an organization (e.g., theft by employees, theft by contractors); (ii) external sharing—controlling intellectual property shared with partners or customers; (iii) confidentiality—preserving the confidentiality around sensitive or secret projects; and (iv) external collaboration—limiting third-party use of data.
While these business challenges may seem straight forward, there are many operational or functional challenges associated with implementing an information management system. Some of these operational and functional challenges include classifying information, handling of different data types, controlling access to information, controlling use of information, making information available to users, protecting information at-rest, in-transit and in-distribution, and managing policies and information being managed.
Therefore, there is a need for improved information management systems.